


The Grandmother's Tale

by Elizabeth Culmer (edenfalling)



Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: 3 Sentence Ficathon, 3 Sentence Fiction, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Practicality, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3517109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edenfalling/pseuds/Elizabeth%20Culmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Will you take the path of pins or the path of needles?" the wolf asks the girl in the old story, but Sophie missed her moment to step into that dance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Grandmother's Tale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betony/gifts).



> Written 2/10/15 for [betony](http://betony.dreamwidth.org) in response to the prompt: _[Howl's Moving Castle, Sophie Hatter, the path of pins or the path of needles](http://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/119267.html?thread=3664867#cmt3664867)_.

"Will you take the path of pins or the path of needles?" the wolf asks the girl in the old story, goading her to brave the unknown, but Sophie missed her moment to step into that dance; now she is the old woman alone in the wilderness, a handsome, heartless wolf already inside her door, and there is no bright-cloaked maiden coming to find her along any symbolic path no matter how many hints she drops to mark the way.

Sophie watches Calcifer flicker in the hearth as Howl sweeps out the door in a swirl of silk and secrets, and thinks that's just fine; after all, she has no intention of being eaten and replaced... nor, to be perfectly honest, does she want to kill the wolf, however sharp his teeth.

She tucks a stray hatpin into her pocket as a reminder of the life she's lost, and returns to saving herself.


End file.
